Real-time communication using network-connected computing devices is becoming increasingly popular. This may take the form of, for example, voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) telephony, audio-enabled chat programs, and audio and video streaming. Providing the highest quality audio and/or video experience can be a differentiator among the many companies providing real-time communication audio clients.
One contributing factor to the quality of a communication experience with an audio component is the availability and effectiveness of cancellation of echo. Many software applications designed for audio communication between networked computer systems provide an echo cancellation feature. However, these echo cancellation features generally have to be manually enabled by the user. Further, there is generally a lag time before echo cancellation algorithms will effectively reduce or remove echo from the sound output in a communication session. This lag time may last half a minute or more while the sound output from a loudspeaker and captured at a microphone is compared to the audio signal input to the speaker and any echo effects are removed. Thus, even when echo cancellation is enabled, a user may still have a poor experience during an initial period of the communication session.
The information included in this Background section of the specification is included for technical reference purposes and is not to be regarded subject matter by which the scope of the invention is to be bound.